The Hip Hop/Rap Thread - Part 1

[ShadowBoxer]

Anonymous has threatened to hack Iggy Azalea
I can't post the screenshots of the tweets, but their on the link

http://www.complex.com/music/2014/12/anonymous-threatens-iggy-azalear-on-twitter

I hate Iggy Azalea's music. I think she's corny and lame, but this is stupid

Anonymous sucks. Instead of attacking famous people, why not go after the North Korean hackers? Anonymous could actually have done some good for a change.

 

[Warhammer]

I hear what y'all are saying.

I'm not going to lie. I feel as though a good chunk of the scrutiny of Iggy Azalea is not fair because instead of it being purely on her abilities (or lack thereof) as an artist, a lot of it is rooted in racism.

 

[Marvin]

I agree with a lot youre saying but black people invited the blues, soul and in turn rock and roll so your Hendrix/Jackson analogy/example is a little faulty. The example I would use is basketball. Created by white guys (Canadians...) but now look how it's dominated by blacks and other races.

I get(and knew) that it was a faulty example, but imagine it wasn't. I would hope the point would still stand.
As for sports, I suppose that makes sense but it's quite different than an art. The story telling for example. Subjective awards..conscious vs commercial etc.
Still, I suppose the 'wrong' basketballers could be getting mvp's and people would complain. And black hockey players do seem to have a hard time often.

 

[chamber-music]

I'm not sure why Iggy Azalea is getting a lot of hate. I hear she has said some questionable stuff on social media that ticked off some folks but musically I don't see a problem.

I don't listen to Iggy Azalea music but I don't think she is a modern Vanilla Ice. Lot's of singers sing in different accents to their own so I don't know why it would be different in rap.

Let us not pretend 'keeping it real' is something that exists in current commercial Hip Hop. Many rappers are phonies pretending to be something they aren't.

I remember the stupid Angel Haze vs. Azealia Banks beef as well.

 

[MadVillainy]

Iggy is wack plain and simple that should be the problem. Young Thug is wack too. Let's call out wack rappers.

 

[chamber-music]

Those rappers who sound stoned, can't rhyme and just repeat the same line over and over again are wack.

 

[Hypestyle]

I’m really loathe to chime in on something that just boils down to a personality conflict. But it seems like, if both "Azaleas" were signed to Interscope/Def Jam (or whatever branch of that tree that exists under Universal Music) and at one point—for whatever reason, “justified” or not—that Ms. Iggy received the priority stamp in terms of marketing and promotion, while Ms. Banks—like various other signed artists—found her records being shelved for one financial quarter after another, which apparently ended up being years in length. I know that Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls has been promising her solo LP since what, 2009? Fergie just now has a single out after her last solo work was, what, 2008?

Even in this era of people being able to upload singles and albums online for much less in cost than it would take to press up CDs and vinyl, the major labels still often move like dinosaurs, internally. I’ll stop short of endorsing any sweeping, inflammatory comments, but I can only speculate that it’s probably frustrating on some level to be a signed artist but to be more or less forced to bootleg your own material to have something tactile to offer at concerts (aside from T-shirts and whatever else.) Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment (linked to Universal for marketing/distribution) became notorious for having several high-profile signings (King Tee, Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Rakim), but if your name wasn't Eminem, 50 Cent, or Kendrick Lamar, it probably didn't come out.

I go back to the Beastie Boys and Third Bass, so white rappers are “old news” to me—that is, not shocking, not strange. Of course, I’m also mindful that the infrastructure of the recording industry is what it is—not especially diverse, and putting bottom line before social value. So the rise in certain types of rap isn’t surprising to me anymore, as infuriating as it often is. The geographic and racial diversity of artists is growing, which is good. The gender diversity has stagnated, which is bad. Thematic diversity remains the final frontier.

 

[chamber-music]

Lupe Fiasco was driven to contemplating suicide due to the stress of dealing with his record label. Sometimes your better off signing to the indies.

 

[MadVillainy]

Lupe Fiasco was driven to contemplating suicide due to the stress of dealing with his record label. Sometimes your better off signing to the indies.

Maaan. When I heard that I lost a lot of respect for Lupe

 

[CrypticOne]

Yeah, I can't wait until Lupe is done with Atlantic. He has his massive fanbase already and he'll show Atlantic what he can do when he has full control of his own music and doesn't have to make pop singles. He'll sell more and Atlantic will look like fools.

 

[MadVillainy]

Yeah, I can't wait until Lupe is done with Atlantic. He has his massive fanbase already and he'll show Atlantic what he can do when he has full control of his own music and doesn't have to make pop singles. He'll sell more and Atlantic will look like fools.

The thing is it's not just Atlantic.

Lupe is just using a scapegoat. Im not saying Atlantic didnt try to intefere too much with Lasers. But he blamed all those EDM sounding beats on them, but then on his "Friend of the People" mixtape he's rapping over Bassnectar and other EDM songs.

And fine, Atlantic can take the hit on Lasers, but what about Lupe becoming a whiny little b**** the last few years? He's not even political he just whines. And Tetsuo and Youth isnt sounding that good either.

I want that creative Lupe back. I don't blame Atlantic for what he's become.

Good news for you though, I read but Im not sure, that he has a 6 album contract so there's only one album left after Tetsuo and Youth

 

[Warhammer]

In a perfect world, Lupe would have been able to release LupeEND and called it a day. He went from my new favorite rapper to someone I kind of forgot about. Being too damn political a few years ago helped too.

 

[MadVillainy]

Yeah that wouldve been good

But Im confused. He signed a deal for 6 albums and he thought that releasing a triple disc album would fulfill that contract?

 

[Warhammer]

I don't know. The man clearly wasn't thinking straight. Honestly, it affected his legacy whether he wanted it or not. We'd be having a different conversation right now. His first two albums are fire, though. I was probably one of the few that liked Food & Liquor better than The Cool.

 

[the last son]

I did as well. To me it's not close. Food and liqour was one of the best rap debuts since illmatic.

 

[MadVillainy]

Finally listened to PRyme. Dope album.
I don't think I'll buy it, but it's still very good and well made. I just cant see me having it in my song rotation.

I love that it was short, Im tired of these albums that are a 1 hour or more and then 75% of the songs suck.

 

[chamber-music]

Lupe's first two albums are great.

 

[MadVillainy]

Speaking of Lupe

Really man?

 

[chamber-music]

WTF?

Lupe has been on Twitter defending Iggy Azalea

“Iggy has a place in HipHop… her place… @MisGina_Kool,” he wrote explaining that Azalea isn’t the first artist to imitate her inspiration and she won’t be the last.

 

[MadVillainy]

9th Wonder ‏@9thWonderMusic 18h
So to @IGGYAZALEA, your fans support your s***, at LEAST they BUY it! That energy & support needs to transfer to some of these complainers.

9th Wonder ‏@9thWonderMusic 18h
And AGAIN...I don't like nor listen to her ****.....at ALL....I got **** I can listen to....yall do the same....go find it and buy it...

This.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

I wish Lupe would go sit down somewhere. I used to be such a big fan too.

 

[KenK]

Finally listened to PRyme. Dope album.
I don't think I'll buy it, but it's still very good and well made. I just can see me having it in my song rotation.

I love that it was short, Im tired of these albums that are a 1 hour or more and then 75% of the songs suck.

I kinda crept up on me how short it was, but you're absolutely right about it working to its benefit. Nothin' but potent rap for 40 minutes! (if even that!)

 

[MadVillainy]

Freddie Gibbs ‏@FreddieGibbs 1h1 hour ago
Dear @lupefiasco, I always personally thought u were a b### a$$ n####. This solidifies it. N####z jumpin out they mind, soul and body just to promote an album. http://instagram.com/p/xAOuw4BmJb/

Lupe really is an example of how the mighty hath fallen. 2 classics then completely went of the deep end.

 

[Warhammer]

Damn, Lupe. The KKK s*** is no bueno.

 

[MadVillainy]

I'm wondering...all of you who say J Cole is slept on, do still think so? I mean dude has gone gold in like 2 weeks which is really impressive nowadays. AND he did it with like no promotion.
And he has had 3 number 1 albums in a row. And it's almost universally acclaimed. People are ready to fight if you didnt like the album